Who We Are:

Purpose of the Council

An important part of what shaped the mission as well as what helped formed the objectives of the Council is  looking at the problems facing our Belizean Kriols who are afro-descendants. Below are ideas gathered from an institutional training done with the Kriol Council in 2009 with the assistance of the Social Investment Fund (SIF) of Belize.

Problems facing Kriols in Belize

• Lack of acknowledgement of culture
• Failure to hand down traditions to the younger generation
• Low self esteem
• The way Kriol perceive themselves and are perceived by others
•  Fractured identity-who we are
• Poor leadership
• Unemployment
• Low education
• Stigmatization/discrimination
• Increase in violence
• Loss of culture and adaptation
• Subscription of  other cultural domaination
• Disintegration of family
• Drug involvement
• Lack of understanding of our history
• False sense of security as an ethnic group
• Division among the people

The above was then grouped into five key areas:

Five areas of Kriol problems (summary from above)

1. Loss of culture/identity
2. Self esteem/self awareness/identity
3. Lack of leadership
4. Social problems
5. Division among our people

 Structure of the Organization

Effective April 2010 the structure of the Kriol Council's branches has been changed from districts to regions. Below is the revised organizational structure for the Council.

Dana Rhamdas, President

Myrna Manzanares, Past President

Mario Chavarria, Vice President

Marilyn Garvin, Treasurer

Jamelia Gault, Secretary

Enrique Zelaya, Treasurer

Staff:

Arlette Woods, Administrative Assistance